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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: field · deal · present · rash · swing · lean · toast · rush

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — there
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rash — a series
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. present — a gift
  22. rash — hasty
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — hurry

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