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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

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