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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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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: swing · file · stick · bear · bark · suit · pop · lean

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. swing — to play on

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