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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — hurry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mug — a face
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — music

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