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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kick — in football
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — the season
  24. mouse — the animal

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