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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 116 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: squash · swing · wind · mug · kid · straw · hide · fan

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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 — in golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kid — to tease
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — child
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hide — to keep secret

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