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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. swing — music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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