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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spring — the season
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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