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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · vault · stick · kick · board · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kick — in football
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pass — a permit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to spend time

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