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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mug — a face
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cell — a phone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a plant

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