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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. land — to come down
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. land — ground
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a committee
  17. swing — to play on
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — to recline
  21. land — a country
  22. swing — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a tree

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