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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. swing — to play on
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spell — magic
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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