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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — for catching
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. net — in sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. racket — for tennis

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