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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lie — an untruth

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