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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 124 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — to fit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — in cards
  10. drill — army training
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hand — help
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — a practice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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