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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — tied together
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — to keep secret

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