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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 120 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 · tear · vault · cap · saw · plane · leaves · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tear — from crying
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mate — a partner
  24. squash — the sport

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