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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. march — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. march — the month

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