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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — the fish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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