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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · shower · last · vault · track · squash · stick · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — soda
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. last — final
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — to go on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. last — finally
  23. track — to keep track
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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