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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. foot — a measure
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — help
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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