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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: swing · cabinet · field · object · mate · leaves · dip · staff

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to sink
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. field — for sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — of a tree

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