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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 116 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: kid · race · rock · firm · squash · sharp · vault · saw

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — the tool

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