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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — of water
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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