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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. suit — clothes
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — to come down
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — a country
  24. wound — an injury

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