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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — finally
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. shower — rain
  6. last — final
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lean — thin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — in golf
  24. prune — to trim

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