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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: coach · rock · safe · bat · prune · pass · swing · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. swing — to play on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — music
  11. swing — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — to succeed
  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