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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — thin
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — in a tire

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