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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: bay · fall · object · chest · row · swing · cabinet · leaves

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — to protest
  9. fall — the season
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — music
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a line
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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