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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to click
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lean — thin
  21. swing — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — to rest against

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