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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. scale — size or range
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — a tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bear — the animal

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