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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — a price
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — in control
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. charge — electricity
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chip — in a computer

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