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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — for pool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. swing — to play on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. foot — a measure

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