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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lean — thin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rule — a law
  11. cell — a phone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mate — a friend

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