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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bass — low music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — rain
  13. bass — the fish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. band — a ring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — to wash
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — to eat

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