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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — for pool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. straw — a straw man

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