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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — child
  8. press — to push
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. swing — to play on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. press — a publisher
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — side of the head

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