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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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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: snap · wound · present · stem · fan · swing · rock · ruler

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to click
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — the time now
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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