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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · march · snap · game · bore · swing · wave · staff

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — in golf
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to tire

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