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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — a safe
  18. march — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. march — the month

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