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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — a signal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a line of people
  10. field — farmland
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. wind — moving air
  21. file — a tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — a hint

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