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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. land — ground
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — a country
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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