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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ground — the earth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — a position
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lean — thin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to bend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — in golf

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