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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a path
  3. row — to paddle
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — the fish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a song
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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