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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spring — the season
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. suit — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — a coil
  24. staff — a stick

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