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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · mug · leaves · swing · degree · wind · key · ball

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — moving air
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — in music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — for a lock

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