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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — a safe
  7. squash — to crush
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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