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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — to bend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wake — a trail
  10. swing — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — a division

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