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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. swing — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lie — to recline
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. roll — a list
  10. mug — to rob
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mug — a face
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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