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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rock — a stone
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pop — soda
  24. arm — a part of something

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