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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.

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: cabinet · toast · land · season · sharp · vault · calf · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. sharp — clever
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — ground
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. toast — bread
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — a safe
  23. season — of the year
  24. cabinet — ministers

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