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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. can — a tin

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