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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — a video
  13. roll — a list
  14. object — an aim
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — for paper
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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