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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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