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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — a country
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — in golf
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — clothes
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rush — hurry

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