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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for golf
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — a safe
  14. club — for dancing
  15. track — a path
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. track — a song
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kid — child
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — employees

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