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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. spring — a coil
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. roll — a list
  5. spring — the season
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cabinet — ministers

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