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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pit — a hole
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. board — a committee
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. board — to get on

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