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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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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: bay · swing · chair · spell · fall · straw · leaves · current

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. swing — to play on
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. current — of water
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. swing — music

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