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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to click
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — in golf

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