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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: toast · mate · swing · drill · arm · hand · squash · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — army training
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. drill — a practice
  12. toast — bread
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hand — help
  16. swing — to play on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — to crush
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mate — to breed

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