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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — to rob
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a face
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — in golf
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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