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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. content — the amount
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. content — happy
  10. swing — in golf
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. toast — bread
  15. mate — a friend
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — a stone

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