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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in biology
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — in football
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — in a road
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. prune — to trim

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