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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. band — a music group
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — a straw man

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