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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — a break
  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