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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. swing — in golf
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — to eat
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — music
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. clip — to cut
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. clip — a video
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — a song

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