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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — army training
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — happy

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