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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rock — music
  3. swing — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — to protest
  7. rule — a law
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — government
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. object — an aim
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — a face
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. object — a thing
  24. hand — part of the body

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