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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — help

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