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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. swing — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — child
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. staff — a stick

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