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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: swing · shower · stand · ground · bulb · face · cue · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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