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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: mug · swing · lash · straw · bear · rule · mouse · date

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. straw — dry grass

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