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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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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 · present · tear · lean · wound · key · foot · bay

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. present — the time now
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. present — a gift
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. present — there
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — the most important part

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