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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — in golf
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — after costs
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — a stick
  22. net — in sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — high quality

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