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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — a trail
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. straw — dry grass
  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