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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — tied together
  17. game — a match
  18. swing — music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. sharp — clever
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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