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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. field — farmland
  8. firm — decided
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. suit — to fit
  11. firm — a company
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — a subject
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — a trail
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. firm — steady
  20. rock — music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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