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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: deal · kid · mug · drill · straw · lean · swing · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. drill — army training
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — an agreement

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