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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — thin
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lean — to bend

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