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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · saw · dip · stand · squash · swing · toast · straw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — to crush
  15. swing — to play on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — on your feet
  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