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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. club — a group
  6. rock — a stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bark — to shout
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — of water
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. spring — the season

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