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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mug — a face
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — in music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. track — a song
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — the most important part
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cold — an illness
  23. vault — a safe
  24. nail — on a finger

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