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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. net — after costs
  6. land — a country
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — in football
  13. land — to come down
  14. net — in sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the instrument

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