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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — music
  17. file — a tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — to play on
  24. file — a line of people

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