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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hand — help
  20. rest — a break
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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