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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: lean · swing · board · dip · staff · cold · arm · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lean — to bend
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — in golf
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a committee
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. cold — not warm
  24. staff — a stick

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