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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — a face
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. capital — money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — to play on
  19. capital — a city
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — a big letter

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