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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: stem · swing · fork · toast · spell · pitch · nail · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — a short time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stem — to come from

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