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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — a position
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — for pool
  15. march — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — to get on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. march — the month

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