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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kid — to tease
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — to put up with

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