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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — final
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. swing — in golf
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — to bear
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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