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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rest — a break
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — music
  11. charge — a price
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — a stone
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. charge — in control
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — to play on

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