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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. last — final
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. last — to go on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — a box
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chest — of your body

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