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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: present · toast · hide · squash · leaves · bay · vault · ruler

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. toast — bread
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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