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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: stock · patient · track · swing · object · file · lean · chair

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. file — a tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — to play on
  10. track — a path
  11. file — a line of people
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. object — to protest
  15. lean — thin
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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