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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — a tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — steady
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — happy
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — decided
  14. tear — to rip
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — the sport
  19. swing — to play on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — out of danger

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