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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: straw · hide · stick · pop · bat · rule · fine · vault

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fine — all right
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — a law
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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