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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — government
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — to rob
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mug — a face
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. squash — the vegetable

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