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

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — a measure
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lie — to recline
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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