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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. field — a subject
  11. wind — moving air
  12. field — farmland
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — to play on
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. field — for sport

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