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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — a country
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pit — a hole
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — the sport
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — to play on
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — to crush

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