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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 116 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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Word bank
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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 · vault · wind · safe · pop · lean · fan · tube

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — a container
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lean — to bend
  10. vault — a safe
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wind — moving air
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — dry grass

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