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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 120 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: march · lean · swing · rock · last · temple · stand · chip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. last — to go on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. march — music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. last — finally
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. swing — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — the month
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — final
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  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