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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: saw · wake · stem · swing · wound · leaves · bass · cue

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low 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