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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · swing · stand · straw · fine · kid · hand · ruler

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hand — help
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kid — child
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kick — in football
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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