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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cell — in biology
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cold — an illness
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bass — low music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. swing — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — in golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — a phone

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