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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. toast — bread
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a cup
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. file — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — to rob
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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