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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — not warm
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. squash — to crush
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — a sauce

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