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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — low music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the fish

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