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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: swing · bark · rest · hide · stem · kick

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — in football
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — music

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