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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a face
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — thin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. swing — music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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