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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.

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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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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: kick · key · mug · lean · bark · game · swing · can

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — a face
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kick — in football
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lean — thin
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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