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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. band — a ring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. race — a contest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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