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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — the time now
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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