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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — thin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — hurry

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