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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — to recline
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — a safe
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — a young animal

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