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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chest — a box
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chest — of your body

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