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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — temperature
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — the earth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — an amount

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