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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. swing — in golf
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. straw — dry grass

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