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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. swing — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. scale — in music
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ground — the earth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tube — a container
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lash — an eyelash

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