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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · bulb · swing · bay · chair · object · lean · track

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. track — a path
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. object — a thing
  24. track — a song

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