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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — final
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — music
  18. fall — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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