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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — a safe

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