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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — certain
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — obliged
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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