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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · cabinet · racket · swing · rash · track · rush · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — to play on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. straw — dry grass

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