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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. swing — music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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