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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — in sport
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. object — an aim
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — a thing
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to bend
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — hurry
  21. swing — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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