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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — completely
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — a safe
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — hurry
  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