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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: wound · swing · pass · present · roll · kick · rock · leaves

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — a permit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — music
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. leaves — lets stay

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