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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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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 · bark · rock · last · mate · deal · lean · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. last — to go on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — to shout
  12. last — final
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — thin
  24. last — finally

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