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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — low music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — the fish
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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