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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — in music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chip — for betting

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