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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. spell — magic
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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