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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — for catching
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. last — final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — after costs

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