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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — for catching
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — there
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. net — after costs
  21. hand — help
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — a company
  24. wave — of the sea

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