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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — to play on
  10. last — finally
  11. rule — government
  12. band — a ring
  13. rush — hurry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — final
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — in golf

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