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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — of a plant

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