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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: stem · rock · file · snap · board · swing · lie · field

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. field — a subject
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. file — a tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a document
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rock — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — for sport

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