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

Word bank: wave · snap · stand · bat · present · straw · jam · cap

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to click
  7. present — the time now
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — there
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. present — a gift
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stand — to bear

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