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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — farmland
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. field — for sport
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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