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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — a friend
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. nail — on a finger

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