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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — a stone
  9. swing — music
  10. pop — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stock — shares
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pop — soda

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