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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
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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: straw · lie · vault · bore · last · scale · squash · date

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — in music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. last — to go on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bore — to drill
  20. last — final
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. squash — to crush
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bore — to tire

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