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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. swing — in golf
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. swing — music
  15. rock — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — clever

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