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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. drill — army training
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a face
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. swing — in golf

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