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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: ruler · spell · bulb · swing · lean · sharp · straw · cabinet

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — to play on
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lean — to bend

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