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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — part of the head
  5. object — an aim
  6. face — to point toward
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. present — there
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — a gift
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — a weight
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. present — the time now
  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