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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rock — music

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