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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — a safe
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. drill — army training
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — a big deal

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