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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — thin
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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