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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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