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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. face — to point toward
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. swing — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. degree — an amount
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — to confront
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — temperature
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — all right
  22. firm — steady
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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