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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — finally
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bass — low music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. present — there
  17. toast — bread
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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