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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a great time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. temple — side of the head

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