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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pit — in a race
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. march — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — dry grass

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