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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — a group
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. last — finally
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for golf
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. last — to go on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. swing — in golf
  23. last — final
  24. plane — a tool

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