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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — final
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — music
  9. band — a music group
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. band — a ring
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. present — there
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. last — finally
  22. present — the time now
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. foot — part of the body

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