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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: rule · leaves · wake · racket · stick · lean · swing · pit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rule — government
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. swing — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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