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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: safe · squash · vault · present · rock · cabinet · date · toast

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. date — the fruit
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. present — there
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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