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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. firm — a company
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. firm — steady
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — a young animal

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