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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. last — final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. roll — a list
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. last — to go on
  24. swing — in golf

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