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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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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: swing · chip · lean · cap · file · tube · coach · root

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — thin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. file — a document
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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