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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. face — to confront
  7. kid — child
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bound — certain
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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