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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spell — letters
  4. capital — money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — a practice
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — magic
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — a box
  18. capital — a city
  19. chest — of your body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. drill — the tool

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