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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — a box
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mug — to rob
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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