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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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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 · rush · bulb · mug · fork · staff · swing · wound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mug — a face
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. mug — to rob

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