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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — to play on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hand — help
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — low music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — out of danger

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