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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ground — a position
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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