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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — steady
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — a company
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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