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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lean — to bend
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. land — a country
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — a face
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — a weight
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — an injury

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