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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — a video
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. suit — clothes
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — the fish
  16. board — a committee
  17. swing — in golf
  18. present — there
  19. suit — to fit
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — low music

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