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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 · wave · bay · arm · dip · stem · vault · band

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. band — a music group
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. band — a ring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stem — to come from

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