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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. spell — a short time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spell — letters
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the sport

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