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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — a price
  12. stem — to come from
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chest — of your body
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — a path

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