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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: leaves · safe · mine · pop · swing · roll · chair · tube

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pop — soda
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. roll — a list

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