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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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 — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a signal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — for paper
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. staff — a stick
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — music
  22. root — the cause
  23. staff — employees
  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