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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — a signal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stand — on your feet

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