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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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Word bank
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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. branch — a division
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — a contest
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. race — the arms race
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — animal skin

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