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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — music
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to click
  15. lean — thin
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — a path
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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