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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — in golf
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — to play on
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — ground

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