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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. swing — to play on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — a practice
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — to push
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. roll — a list
  19. press — newspapers
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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