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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 124 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. swing — music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. rash — a series
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a music group
  23. swing — to play on
  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