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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pass — a permit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cold — an illness
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — decided
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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