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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: saw · safe · stem · mouse · chest · swing · pit · club

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for golf
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — a box
  19. swing — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. swing — to play on

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