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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mug — a face
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — to handle
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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