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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lean — thin
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a face
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. band — a ring
  24. lean — to rest against

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