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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. swing — music
  10. march — the month
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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