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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — thin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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