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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: straw · mug · game · cue · squash · face · bore · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a hint
  7. face — to confront
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — a face
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bore — to tire
  20. game — a match
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cue — for pool
  24. squash — to crush

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