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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fall — to drop
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. swing — in golf

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