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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pop — soda
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lean — to bend

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