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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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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: rush · squash · mate · vault · dip · game · calf · land

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — ground
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — to come down
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — a match
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — a country
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mate — a friend

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