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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. kid — child
  24. object — an aim

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