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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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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: lean · straw · charge · swing · stem · chip · mouse · patient

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — thin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — to bend

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