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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a city
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. capital — money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cabinet — ministers

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