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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — a position
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mate — to breed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a dance

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