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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — an aim
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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