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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. swing — in golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — a break
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — to shout
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rash — hasty
  23. band — a ring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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