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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — government
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to sink
  22. shower — to wash
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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