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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — a safe
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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