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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stand — to bear
  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