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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — money
  4. vault — a safe
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a round shape

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