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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. swing — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — what's left

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