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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — the most important part
  7. board — a committee
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — to get on
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — finally
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. safe — a strongbox

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