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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — of a river
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. row — a line
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a grade

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