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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — a safe
  9. suit — clothes
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. swing — in golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a committee

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