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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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Word bank
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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: deal · squash · swing · straw · arm · rock · plane · pop

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — to play on
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — in golf
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — to visit

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