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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. drill — a practice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. bass — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. swing — in golf
  24. drill — army training

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