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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — for a lock
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to sink
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. capital — money
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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