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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. swing — music
  6. hand — help
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hand — part of the body

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