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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. temple — side of the head

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