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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. present — a gift
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — there
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — the time now
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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