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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: bowl · swing · shower · lean · saw · patient · leaves · scale

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. shower — to wash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. shower — rain
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. scale — in music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bowl — a football final

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