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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: pitcher · vault · charge · stick · straw · clip · band · branch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — for paper
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. branch — a division
  16. band — a music group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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