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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lean — to bend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — help
  18. swing — to play on
  19. net — in sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. swing — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — after costs

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