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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — the sport

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