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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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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 · deal · dip · stand · field · fall · snap · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — farmland
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — music
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. swing — music

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