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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: wave · mine · hide · jam · vault · squash · kid · drill

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. drill — a practice
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kid — child
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kid — to tease
  24. drill — army training

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