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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: toast · squash · rest · snap · present · vault · pass · ball

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. toast — bread
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ball — a dance
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — a break
  15. snap — to click
  16. present — there
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a great time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. present — a gift
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — what's left

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