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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lie — to recline
  24. toast — bread

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