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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: swing · kid · rock · chair · bulb · mark · lie · bank

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — to play on
  12. kid — child
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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