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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: mug · pass · swing · sharp · fall · trunk · shower · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. swing — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lean — thin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fall — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pass — a permit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fall — to drop

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