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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. last — to go on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. last — finally
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — final
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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