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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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: coach · leaves · file · ground · lean · cabinet · wind · swing

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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