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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — to play on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — employees
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wind — moving air

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