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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: chest · swing · leaves · deal · bay · spring · nail · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chest — a box
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — soda
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chest — of your body

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