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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hand — help
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. toast — bread
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bank — for money
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — for money
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — for a bird

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