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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. 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. stem — to come from
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mug — a face
  23. swing — in golf
  24. 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