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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — thin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. key — the most important part
  21. drill — army training
  22. swing — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — for a computer

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