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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — a company
  24. board — a flat piece

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