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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a list
  23. pit — in a race
  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