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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — to play on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — there
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lie — to recline
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. snap — to click
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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