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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. swing — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mate — to breed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. swing — in golf
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — a friend

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