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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hand — in cards
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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