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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — a gift
  22. capital — a city
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — in cards

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