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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — a face
  7. cold — an illness
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pop — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — to play on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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