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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. scale — in music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kid — child
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — to get on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spell — magic

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