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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — an aim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — hurry
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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