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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 120 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: racket · stick · bank · chest · wake · swing · leaves · pop

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pop — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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