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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 · chest · leaves · deal · board · jam · cell · object

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chest — of your body
  3. swing — in golf
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. swing — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — to protest
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. deal — to handle
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — an aim
  21. cell — a phone
  22. board — to get on
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — a box

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