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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — shares
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  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