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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.

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: last · bark · mug · march · vault · fan · stick · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. last — final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — to go on
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — finally
  18. mug — to rob
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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