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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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