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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — newspapers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — to push
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — the animal

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