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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: lean · season · bat · pass · swing · prune · band · wind

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — thin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. band — a music group
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to bend
  15. swing — in golf
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bat — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bat — in an idiom

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