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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. swing — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. swing — to play on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cell — a phone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lie — to recline

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