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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — a place of worship

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