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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. swing — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — in music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. swing — to play on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — to keep secret

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