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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — for digging
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — an untruth

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