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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — a line
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. row — to paddle
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. spell — letters

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