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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 · ruler · leaves · swing · chest · wind · cabinet · chip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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