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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rule — a law
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mine — for digging
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rule — government
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — a safe
  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