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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — a thing
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — an aim

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