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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 116 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: track · fall · spring · prune · swing · saw · firm · cap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. fall — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — the season
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — to keep track
  20. swing — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — in golf

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