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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · swing · leaves · land · scale · snap · bank · suit

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — to come down
  4. swing — music
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — size or range
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — clothes

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