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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — a trail
  5. march — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bass — low music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — the fish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. swing — in golf
  23. suit — in cards
  24. march — the month

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