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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. shower — to wash
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. track — a path
  12. shower — rain
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — government
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — to hurry

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