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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bank — of a river
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. vault — a safe
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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