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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — electric
  3. chest — a box
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to bend
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — happening now
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a dance

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