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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fall — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — for tennis

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