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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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