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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — to cut
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. clip — a video
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the fish
  17. swing — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lash — to lash out

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