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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — in biology
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — in golf
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — the animal

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