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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · fall · pitcher · rush · hide · vault · straw · jam

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. vault — a safe
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — a penalty

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