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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cap — a hat
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cap — of ice
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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