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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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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: lie · lean · swing · wind · mouse · cabinet · pit · bat

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. swing — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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