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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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Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lean — thin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cell — in biology
  20. suit — in cards
  21. swing — music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cell — in a prison
  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