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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. shower — to wash
  3. file — a tool
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — clothes
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — in cards
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a document
  24. spell — letters

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