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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — a safe
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. scale — size or range
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — a signal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a hint

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