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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — to come down
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. band — a ring
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — in golf
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kick — in football
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — ground
  19. swing — to play on
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  24. toast — bread

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