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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — certain
  21. swing — music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bound — tied together
  24. straw — a straw man

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