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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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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: hide · capital · cabinet · pop · rock · band · lean · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — thin
  7. band — a ring
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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