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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: ground · roll · foot · last · kid · vault · charge · straw

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ground — crushed
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kid — to tease
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. last — final
  9. ground — a position
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — in control
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kid — child
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — finally
  18. roll — a list
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — a safe
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. charge — a price
  24. foot — part of the body

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