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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. swing — to play on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. content — happy
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — thin
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. nail — on a finger

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