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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 116 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 · key · staff · sharp · board · lie · field · lean

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — in music
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — for sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — thin
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — to recline
  16. field — farmland
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — a subject
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — a stick

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