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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. game — a match
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rush — hurry
  15. toast — bread
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — in golf
  18. file — a line of people
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. file — a tool
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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