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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spring — the season
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. suit — in cards
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — a coil

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