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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cell — a phone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitch — completely

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