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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · cabinet · swing · lean · track · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a path
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. track — a song
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — to play on
  18. land — a country

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