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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: mate · row · calf · lash · straw · cue · content · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — the amount
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — happy

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