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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. craft — boats
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — a tin

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