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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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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: squash · straw · craft · stock · bay · hide · key · vault

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. craft — a skill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — goods
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — to crush
  15. vault — a safe
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a handicraft

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