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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: vault · cell · object · rash · chair · straw · pop · cold

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pop — soda
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — a leader
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — an aim
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. object — to protest
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cold — an illness
  24. straw — dry grass

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