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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — soda
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — the arms race
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — there
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. race — a contest
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — to visit
  22. present — the time now
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wound — an injury

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