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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bass — the fish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. kid — child
  16. last — to go on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — help

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