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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · object · stem · cue · bay · shower · vault · swing

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — a thing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — to protest
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. swing — music

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