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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — to crush
  4. object — an aim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — a measure
  19. file — a document
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  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