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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — in golf
  7. field — farmland
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — a subject
  20. snap — to click
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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