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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. swing — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chest — of your body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. shower — rain
  23. chest — a box
  24. safe — a strongbox

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