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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — a line
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. swing — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kick — in football
  19. file — a document
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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