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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. swing — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — high quality

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