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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 120 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: key · cabinet · pitcher · hide · wound · squash · vault · ground

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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