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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 112 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — boats
  9. cold — not warm
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — in golf
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. hide — to keep secret

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