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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. present — the time now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — there
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — a gift
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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