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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — a series
  16. bass — low music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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