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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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Word bank
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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: pass · bound · bat · cell · rush · pit · straw · vault

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bound — tied together
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — a permit
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bat — the animal

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