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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — magic
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spell — letters
  15. shower — rain
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a friend
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — to play on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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