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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. tear — to rip
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pop — to visit
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — soda
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — goods

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