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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — in sport

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