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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · pass · saw · spell · swing · stem · game · kick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — in football
  5. stem — to come from
  6. swing — to play on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. swing — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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