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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — music
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — a thing
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — music
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — a series
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — animal skin

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