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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tube — a container

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