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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — in golf
  24. sharp — with an edge

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