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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — in golf
  14. firm — steady
  15. court — of a king
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. firm — a company
  24. court — of law

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