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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. row — to paddle
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — a line
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. net — after costs
  24. fan — a supporter

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