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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. key — the most important part
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — to protest
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fall — to drop
  22. key — in music
  23. fall — the season
  24. bass — the fish

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