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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — to put up with

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