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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cap — a hat
  4. drill — army training
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — to protest
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. foot — part of the body

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