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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: season · toast · vault · squash · kid · chest · suit · root

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — the cause
  3. toast — bread
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kid — child
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chest — of your body
  19. season — of the year
  20. suit — in cards
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chest — a box
  24. squash — the vegetable

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