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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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Word bank
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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: stem · ruler · leaves · swing · chest · wind

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chest — a box
  12. swing — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — to go away

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