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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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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: bound · vault · cabinet · hand · mug · wind · mouse · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mouse — for a computer

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