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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. swing — in golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a round shape

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