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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: bound · straw · swing · rest · ground · bay · lean · cue

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — a signal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lean — thin
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — to play on
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bay — a horse colour

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