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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bound — certain
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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