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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. drill — army training
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. swing — in golf
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. foot — a measure
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — to play on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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