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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 124 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — goods
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — shares

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