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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. shower — rain
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — the cause
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — of a word
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — a place of worship

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