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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. firm — a company
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. firm — steady
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. firm — decided

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