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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bound — tied together
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. degree — from a university

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