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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. race — a contest
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mine — for digging
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. race — humankind
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — to be able to

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