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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — happy
  10. lean — thin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — crushed
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rock — music
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — a stone

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