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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — boats
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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