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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. date — the fruit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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