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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: temple · saw · hand · roll · track · suit · swing · stem

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — to come from
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hand — help
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a list
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  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