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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — to wash
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rock — a stone
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — to play on
  24. straw — a straw man

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