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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — a stone
  18. swing — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — all right
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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