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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — of water
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pop — soda
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — music

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