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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 116 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — on the skin

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