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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kid — child
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — there
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — a gift
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kid — to tease
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. content — happy
  24. wave — of the sea

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