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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — a cup
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rest — a break
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mine — for digging
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mug — a face
  24. rest — what's left

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