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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — there
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. present — the time now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — to fit
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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