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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. clip — a video
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. clip — for paper
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — help

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