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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 124 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — clothes
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — to fit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. clip — a video
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mark — a trace
  18. clip — to cut
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. mark — a grade
  24. leaves — to go away

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