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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — electric
  4. vault — a safe
  5. current — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. toast — bread

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