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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hand — help
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. net — in sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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