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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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