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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chest — a box
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. band — a ring
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — to breed
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — a partner
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. deal — to handle
  23. firm — a company
  24. deal — an agreement

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