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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. degree — an amount
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — a supporter

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