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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: tube · swing · straw · tear · wake · mate · bear · rush

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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