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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · leaves · mark · saw · current · lean · swing · cell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. saw — the tool

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