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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — of the year
  4. snap — to click
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. swing — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. file — a line of people
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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