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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 124 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chest — a box
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pop — soda
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. charge — a price
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fork — in a road

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