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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. ground — a position
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. last — finally
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — final
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — to go on
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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