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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. firm — steady
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — a company
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cold — not warm
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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