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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. swing — to play on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — thin
  24. swing — in golf

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