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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wind — moving air

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