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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. track — a song
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — of the year
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. drill — army training
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — to roll

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