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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — child
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — animal skin

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