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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. object — a thing
  4. rule — a law
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. object — to protest
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — government
  18. object — an aim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. straw — dry grass

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