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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: squash · mate · rock · wind · present · vault · cap · mark

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — a stone
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — a gift
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mark — a grade
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mate — a friend
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rock — music
  19. present — there
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — the time now
  24. cap — of ice

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