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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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