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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: swing · straw · mine · safe · club · lean · roll · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. club — for golf
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — for dancing
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. roll — a cake
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. club — a group
  20. lean — thin
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — a straw man

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