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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lean — thin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. deal — to handle

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