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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — music
  17. swing — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — dry grass

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