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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. present — there
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — the time now
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a committee
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — a phone
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a round shape

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