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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. file — a tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a document
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the tool

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