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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — to move gently

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