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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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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: vault · face · can · lie · squash · wound · wind · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — to crush
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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