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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. swing — in golf
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — a safe
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. swing — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — a trail
  24. swing — to play on

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