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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — a face

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