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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · vault · chip · stand · rash · rush · dip · squash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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