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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — to go on
  7. fine — all right
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — to wash
  22. present — the time now
  23. last — finally
  24. present — there

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