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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lean — thin
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fall — the season
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — the animal

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