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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mug — a face
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. tube — a container
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bat — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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