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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: swing · dip · sharp · hand · stem · roll · suit · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hand — in cards
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. suit — in cards
  9. roll — a list
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — to sink
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — help
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stem — to come from
  23. suit — to fit
  24. dip — to dunk

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