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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spell — magic
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. march — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lie — an untruth

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