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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: bulb · mate · saw · staff · vault · wake · squash · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — a weight
  6. squash — the sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a partner
  24. staff — employees

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