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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: bank · bark · cap · lie · row · swing · stem · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. row — a line
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. row — to paddle
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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