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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — finally
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a dance
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — an injury
  16. last — to go on
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — a publisher

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