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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: bay · straw · plane · club · toast · chest · stand · swing

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. toast — bread
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for golf
  12. plane — a tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chest — a box
  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