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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. dip — to sink
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to click
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. band — a music group
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — a tin

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