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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. snap — to click
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. club — for golf
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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