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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — to play on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — to fit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pop — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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