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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 116 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 · leaves · wind · swing · chip · fine · cue · press

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — to push
  24. swing — in golf

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