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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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