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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: kick · charge · stem · track · chest · bowl · swing · snap

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chest — a box
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — a path
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a song
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. charge — a price
  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