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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 · kid · rock · hide · swing · last · vault · cabinet

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kid — to tease
  15. squash — to crush
  16. last — to go on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rock — music
  24. last — finally

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