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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · mate · rock · wind · present · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — the time now
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mate — a friend
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com