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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — a cake

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