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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a ring
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a music group
  24. bowl — a dish

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