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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — to push
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. press — newspapers

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