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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — happy
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — a stone

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