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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — thin
  8. ground — a position
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — crushed

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