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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. toast — bread
  4. root — the cause
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. net — for catching
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. band — a music group
  13. net — in sport
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. root — of a word
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fine — high quality
  21. root — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — after costs

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