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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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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: row · rock · toast · leaves · staff · file · deal · swing

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. toast — bread
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — a stick
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

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