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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — clothes
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lean — to bend
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. snap — to click
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ball — a great time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — low music
  22. craft — boats
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — a trace

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