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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — thin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bore — gave birth

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