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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: clip · plane · bowl · swing · cue · charge · rest · straw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — a price
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — in control
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cue — a signal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — for pool
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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