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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — letters
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — to rob
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spell — magic
  24. safe — out of danger

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