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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. vault — a safe
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lie — an untruth

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