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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chest — a box
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spring — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — exactly

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