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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. content — happy
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — the amount
  22. firm — steady
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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