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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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468
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: mouse · arm · rock · vault · straw · board · pop · nail

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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 — an arched ceiling
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — a stone

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