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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — to bend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. firm — a company
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lean — thin
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — 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