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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — finally
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. last — final
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. swing — music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bound — certain
  24. shower — to wash

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