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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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