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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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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a professorship

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