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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chest — a box
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — for digging
  15. vault — a safe
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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