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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — hasty
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. snap — to click
  16. net — for catching
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — music

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