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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — in golf
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill

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