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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. mine — for digging
  7. track — a path
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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