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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. dip — to sink
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. roll — a cake
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — to breed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — for digging
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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