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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — a committee
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — a tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. band — a music group
  18. game — a match
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a ring
  24. swing — to play on

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