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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. content — happy
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — to bend
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. toast — bread
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — a line
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wave — of the sea

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