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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: staff · field · pop · wake · bear · swing · lean · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. sharp — clever

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