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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — of water
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. current — electric
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — happening now
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — on your feet

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