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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — a price
  4. swing — in golf
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — electricity
  11. last — final
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — to go on
  15. track — to keep track
  16. swing — to play on
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. scale — in music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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