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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · cap · bark · board · lean · plane · swing · staff

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cap — a hat
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — thin
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — to play on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mate — a friend
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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