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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for golf
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — to play on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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