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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lean — thin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pit — a hole
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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