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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · sharp · swing · mine · rock · stick · wind · cue

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cue — for pool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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