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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — a box
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — thin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — to be able 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