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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — there
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a dance
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. present — a gift
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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