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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. 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. swing — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — a stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a partner
  17. staff — a stick
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. 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