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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. clip — to cut
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — a price
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — for paper
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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