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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — to rob
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — army training
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — a practice

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