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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 120 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: chest · swing · wake · key · stem · season · wave · board

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — a box
  17. board — to get on
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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