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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hide — animal skin

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