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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 · bore · lie · ball · straw · vault · pit · perch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — in a race
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pit — a hole
  24. perch — for a bird

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