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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — the season
  17. last — final
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — finally
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fall — to drop

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