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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: wound · arm · swing · cue · lie · rush · game · leaves

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — to recline
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a signal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — music

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