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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a document
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — soda
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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