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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. can — to be able to
  7. swing — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — a face
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bass — low music
  24. bound — obliged

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