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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — a safe
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chair — a leader
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — a contest
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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