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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · stem · chest · swing · chair · wave

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — with your hand

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