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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — in a road
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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