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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: can · suit · swing · bat · field · lean · wax · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — thin
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — to be able to
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — in cards
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — to grow
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — to handle

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