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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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — a subject
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. field — farmland
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. field — for sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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