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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — of your 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