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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kid — child
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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