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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wake — a trail
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. swing — to play on
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to bend
  24. band — a music group

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