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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — in music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — music
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — to eat
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pass — a permit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chip — for betting
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — to bear
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fall — to drop

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