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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. season — of the year
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bat — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. season — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — of water
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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