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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — to play on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — a match
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — to protest
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — an aim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — for betting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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