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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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 — to clutch at straws
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — a safe
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — to confront
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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