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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · coach · stick · ball · pop · lean · wind · shower

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. shower — rain
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — soda
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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