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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. swing — in golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lean — thin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cap — a lid

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