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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — thin
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — a stone
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — a contest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. swing — in golf
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — hurry
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — on your feet

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