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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — decided
  5. swing — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — of water
  9. court — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spring — a coil
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. hide — to keep secret

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