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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — a country
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — magic
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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