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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cold — an illness
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — to play on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cold — not warm
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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