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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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