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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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