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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — a face
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — for golf
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. scale — in music
  17. march — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. march — the month
  24. swing — to play on

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