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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — government
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — a law
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — of law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — a part of something
  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