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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — final
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — happy
  11. press — to push
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. press — newspapers
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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