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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 120 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: pass · racket · wound · rest · swing · straw · stand · trunk

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. swing — in golf
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rest — a break
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — for spectators

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