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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 116 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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — soda
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. straw — dry grass

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