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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — clothes
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — a line
  12. suit — in cards
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — a hat
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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