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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — to drop
  11. band — a music group
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — clever
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to bend

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