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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — the time now
  8. land — a country
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — ground
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — to come down
  24. mouse — for a computer

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