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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: bass · season · straw · rush · board · swing · bay · kid

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — in sport
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — child

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