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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: cold · straw · bore · squash · vault · track · deal · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a path
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cold — not warm
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. track — a song
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cold — an illness

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