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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: swing · bay · staff · saw · march · lean · trunk · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — a path
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — to play on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. swing — music

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