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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: mouse · leaves · mark · bound · swing · object · stem · coach

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  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