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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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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — a container
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fine — high quality
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. land — ground
  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