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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — in sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. swing — in golf
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mug — a face
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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