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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pop — music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — a measure
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. capital — a city

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