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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: lie · chip · swing · straw · rule · foot · cue · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — a law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. swing — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — for pool
  24. foot — a measure

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