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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — there
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — magic
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — the time now
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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