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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. swing — music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — a position
  12. rush — hurry
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — the earth
  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