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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cue — for pool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rest — a break
  24. perch — for a bird

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