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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. content — happy
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. band — a music group
  19. deal — to handle
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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