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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. straw — dry grass

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