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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — a measure
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. branch — a division
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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