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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · scale · mug · swing · calf · wave · march · mine

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — for digging
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mug — a face
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — in golf
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. march — music

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