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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: leaves · wake · lie · swing · pitch · shower · stem · craft

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — boats
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — music
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. shower — rain
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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