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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: squash · deal · ruler · trunk · date · vault · sharp · cold

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cold — not warm
  15. squash — the sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. deal — to handle
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cold — an illness
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. date — the fruit

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