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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a city

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