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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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