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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — a partner
  10. swing — to play on
  11. club — for golf
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pop — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — to breed
  24. club — a group

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