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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — to bend
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lean — thin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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