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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — in golf
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. swing — music
  21. land — ground
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. straw — dry grass

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