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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tube — a container
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — the animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. object — to protest
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bat — in an idiom

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