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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — to protest
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — a song
  9. cold — an illness
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. vault — a safe
  16. track — a path
  17. can — to be able to
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — in football
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — not warm

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