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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. swing — in golf
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. court — of a king
  22. wax — to grow
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — in cards

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