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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: lie · squash · roll · swing · charge · lean · suit · tube

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — to play on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — in cards
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — the sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. suit — to fit
  24. roll — a cake

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