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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — for catching
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. net — after costs
  19. cold — not warm
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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