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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. swing — to play on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. snap — to click

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