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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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Word bank
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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: deal · trunk · swing · stand · cap · sharp · straw · mug

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cap — of ice
  9. swing — in golf
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — to rob
  13. swing — to play on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — music
  24. cap — a hat

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