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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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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: date · coach · pound · swing · safe · straw · arm · sharp

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. swing — to play on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — music

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