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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. root — of a word
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mug — to rob
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — a face
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wax — in the ear

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