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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the fish
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — to wash
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wind — moving air
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — low music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bass — the instrument

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