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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bark — to shout
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — crushed
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fall — the season
  24. swing — to play on

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