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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — for a lock
  4. swing — to play on
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bore — to tire
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — in music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — an injury

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