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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: bowl · chest · swing · club · track · straw · lie · stand

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — a group
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. track — a path
  10. swing — in golf
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — a box
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — to bear

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