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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. swing — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. charge — a price
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — for weighing

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