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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · safe · hand · stem · calf · fan · wound · lie

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — an injury

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