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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: staff · hand · board · swing · kick · straw · stem · bear

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — a committee
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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