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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to sink
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — a break
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. clip — for paper
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — to push
  21. clip — to cut
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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