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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.

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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — to drill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — certain
  10. cell — a phone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. swing — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — to tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cell — in a prison

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