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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. swing — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — a song
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — the season
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. foot — part of the body
  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