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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. swing — to play on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. swing — in golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — a division
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — a company
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — part of the body

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