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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: swing · band · bark · saw · mouse · pound · mate · lean

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — in golf
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a music group

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