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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tube — a container
  24. chair — to sit on

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