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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — to fit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to click
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. swing — in golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — to play on
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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