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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — to rob
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — letters
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — money

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