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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: arm · pound · foot · straw · rule · swing · plane · jam

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. foot — a measure
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — government
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. swing — music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. swing — in golf

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