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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a grade
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — for catching
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. file — a tool

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