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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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