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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.

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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. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. swing — to play on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. court — of a king
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — for sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. swing — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — of law
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fan — a supporter

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