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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — steady
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — low music
  13. chest — a box
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — of your 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