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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. clip — a video
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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