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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — to protest
  4. pop — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — a thing
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  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