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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — in golf
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. band — a music group
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kid — to tease
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. swing — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — child
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a friend

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