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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 124 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. row — a line
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kid — child
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a match
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — wild animals
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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