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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — a stick
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a line
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — music

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