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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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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — to come from
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. swing — music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — a safe
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — of a bank

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