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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. swing — in golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. roll — a list
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fall — to drop

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