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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. kick — a thrill

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