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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rest — a break
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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